


Career Choices

by Veepy



Category: Veep
Genre: F/M, Post Season 4, Reluctant Friendship, Selina is President, Sexual Tension, Stressed Amy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veepy/pseuds/Veepy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amy doesn't know where to go with her life or career now that she's back on speaking terms with Ms. President.<br/>Obviously Dan is the not the person she should be talking to about this, and yet ...<br/> </p>
            </blockquote>





	Career Choices

When Amy opened the door, Dan was standing with a large paper bag from the liquor store and a stupid half-grin plastered on his stupid fucking space. Everything in the world was wrong. Her thoughts were racing a mile a minute, as per usual, but this time she felt like she had no control over them whatsoever. Her whole life had stopped and there were too many ways to go from here and she had no idea what to do.

"Jesus, Dan, this was not a fucking bootycall!" She groaned. She was wearing yoga pants and an oversized tee shirt that read "Pro-Clinton, Pro-Choice" that she'd gotten as a teenager at one of her first political rallies.

He looked offended. "It's past midnight on a Friday, Amy, I left a solid 8.5 to come here."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?"

Dan looked at her like she was an idiot, shifting his eyes sideways for just a moment. "Yeah."

"That poor woman should be sending me a thank-you note."

Dan sighed, "What do you want?"

Amy rolled her eyes and groaned, "I wanted to talk to you because I don't know what do to with myself or my life and I don't to deal with Selina or you or fucking Sidney Purcell or fucking anyone!"

Dan narrowed his eyes, "Okay…"

"I will take that, though," She reached out and grabbed the bag which surprised her with its weight. "Goonight."

"Wait," Dan held out his hand to stop the door closing on him, "You don't want to deal with Selina? Did she offer you a job or something?"

"Yes! Chief of Staff! And I don't know what to do!"

"Okay," Dan looked suddenly interested, forcing his way forward into her foyer and closing the door behind him. He took off his jacket and Amy could smell his stupid cologne which shouldn't be allowed smell so good on such terrible people.

Once drinks were poured, Amy began pacing her living room while Dan sat far too comfortably on her couch, phone in hand, watching her as if she were a mildly interesting movie. "Lobbying is way less stress, and I have actual free time, and more money, but Chief of Staff for 4 years to the newly elected president? That's all I've ever wanted."

"You might not be there 4 years, that job has less stability than a one-legged stripper."

"This is not a fucking joke, Dan!"

Dan held up his hands but was clearly amused.

"Lobbying isn't stable either," Amy said, walking towards the window then turning back to the room. "And I'm only so good at it because of my being Chief of Staff when she was Veep. If Selina-The-Talking-Balloon changes staff who the fuck do I know there? She's like a fucking toddler, you know? Never shuts up, and can't do anything on her own, and always does it wrong, and gets distracted by men and their dicks!"

Dan scrunched his face and gave a little shake of his head.

Amy threw her hand up and slapped it down again, "Oh, you know what I mean! What am I supposed to do, Dan?"

"You want some weed?"

She froze for a milisecond, "What?"

"You look like you could use some." He pulled a little tube out of the inside of his blazer and pulled a vaporizer from his pocket. Amy must have been losing her mind.

"You smoke weed? Are you fucking sixteen years old?"

Dan shrugged, "I have a prescription." He grinned, "On account of the stressful nature of my job."

* * *

 

When a reluctant Amy had had her two hits, she sat on the couch and sighed. Her whole body tingled and her problems seemed to slow down in her mind. She felt like she was moving the way people looked under strobe lights. Dan smelled way too good.

"You look good in a tee-shirt," Dan said from the other side of the couch.

"Shut up, Dan. I need to decide what to do. It would be crazy to turn down a Chief of Staff job, right? Totally crazy."

Dan shrugged, "Yeah, especially since you're actually pretty good at it."

Amy wanted to look at him, to say thank-you, to allow herself to feel flattered, to take a compliment. Even if it was from Dan and it was most definitely not sincere, she wanted to believe it was. Because she was good at her old job. Both Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager and she'd never once gotten recognition for it. But she just scrunched up her nose and threw her head back on the couch.

She didn't want to tell him she didn't want to work at the white house without him. It only took her a few weeks after he was fired for her to reach her breaking point. What was it with him? She hated Dan Egan so much. And yet, the job she loved wasn't the same when he was gone. There he was, sitting on her couch. He wasn't her friend, but he was the only person in the world she wanted to talk to.

The world began to spin when she closed her eyes.

What was wrong with her? Dan wasn't one of those assholes with a soft spot in the middle. He was one of those assholes whose insides were pure shit. Even assholes had souls, and Dan didn't have one of those either. Nothing made sense. Maybe it was the weed.

Then, a moment of clarity.

"What if I take the job, and you keep lobbying and I'm your contact at the White House?" She sat up and when she opened her eyes the room jutted to a stop. This was perfect. It was exactly what Dan probably wanted only, she was going to be in control. "Your only contact because you suck at lobbying without me."

"I _got_ you that job!"

"And I got all your clients," Amy smiled, only it was a huge smile and it weighed her head back. Maybe Dan had the right idea about pot. Everything felt better now - not everything, but kind of everything. Her thoughts mushed together and pressed on her skin from inside then disappeared all together.

"If I was staff — Chief Staff," Amy gave a yawn, "You could name-drop me to all your clients and I'd make 50% and I'd be able to get anything pushed through because I'd be the Chief! It would be me."

"50 percent?" Dan looked at her like she was crazy, "Of my commission?"

Amy nodded, "Since I'd be doing half the work."

"That's illegal."

"So fucking what?" She leaned over to him and felt like she was about to dive off a cliff, her plan was perfect. "We all lied our asses off at that hearing and sent Bill Ericsson to prison for something he didn't do, even though he deserved it. That was pretty illegal."

"Yeah," Dan nodded, then he looked at her, "Yeah!"

"But I'd cover my ass, Dan, I'd make sure nobody in that stupid white building trusted you for anything, and you wouldn't be able to … I'd get my money … we'd …" Amy lost track of what she was saying, "I'm hungry."

* * *

 

Amy woke in the morning with eyes more tired than usual and a slight headache. For a moment, she didn't know where she was. Had she slept on her couch? Around the room, empty bottles and food wrappers were scattered. She saw Dan's jacket by the door and yawned.

She went upstairs to change and was startled to see a sleeping mass in her bed.

"Dan?" Amy shoved him awake.

"Morning, sunshine," He stretched, his button up wrinkled.

"You slept in my bed?" She was horrified.

"You fell asleep on the couch. What was I supposed to do, sleep on the floor?"" He said defensively.

"Yes. That is absolutely what you were supposed to do. Or maybe in the guest room, like a normal person."

Dan made a face as he pulled back the sheets to get out of her bed, revealing he was wearing his boxer-briefs. Amy nearly had an aneurysm.

"You took off your pants, and slept in my bed!" Amy said, just to clarify, "I'm going to have to wash my sheets now. No. You're going to have to wash them."

"That suit cost $1000, I'm not wrinkling it up in your dirty sheets."

Amy took a deep breath, "You need to leave."

"What, you don't want to discuss your amazingly illegal idea to make us both a shit load of money? Or don't you remember?"

She held up her hands, unwilling to talk to him, and slammed the bathroom door shut as she went in. She didn't want to think about the secret thrill she felt knowing he'd been almost naked in her bed. God she was pathetic. Maybe they should just fuck again and get it over with. Maybe they could continue to fuck while she worked at the while house. She could let him use her for information, and she'd get the weird satisfaction of having his attention. At this point, she didn't even care. She wanted to cry. Dan was such a shit.

She stayed upstairs long enough to hope Dan would disappear from her house like he'd never been there, but when Amy went downstairs he was sitting at her kitchen island eating a plate of food he'd obviously gone out and bought then brought back. He was also wearing new clothes, which Amy realized he must have a 'morning after kit' in his car because he'd clearly washed and brushed his teeth..

"Why are you still here, Dan? Don't you have some still-drunk girl to find and fuck?"

He ignored her. "Have some breakfast. It was expensive."

Amy said nothing, but noticed the way he had set out a plate for her. Water had been poured, cutlery set on napkins, containers opened for her to choose. Her stomach squirmed, knowing that this was purely a way to get something he wanted; information, contacts, his way, her body ... she wasn't quite sure. The fact that he wanted something from her at all gave her a sick pleasure.

"I don't get why you're so stressed out." Dan said in a voice that was far too comfortable, too familiar. "What would you rather do, work for an insane dictator, or work for an evil dictator but with this" He gestured to himself.

"Neither. See my dilemma?" She lied. She'd rather work for an insane dictator with him. There was a few minutes of quiet eating, and it was more than she could take. "Why are you still here!" 

"You like lobbying," He said matter-of-factly. "And you're good at it."

"If you think I should stay at PKM then I definitely should leave." Amy nodded. "Or maybe you know I'd think that and you actually want me to stay."

Dan chuckled, looking proud of himself. "Either way, you'll be useful to me."

"Oh, I will?"

"Oh yeah," The look in his eye was calculated and enticing. "You can't stay away."

She folded her arms. "Neither can you."

Dan held her gaze. He swallowed, and for a moment Amy saw the scheming facade falter. Just for a _moment_ , his eyes seemed fiery, like she was seeing what was protected by his usual cunning stare. From only that split-second blink Amy's body got a jolt.

"So where does that leave us?" His voice was raspy and quiet.

She took a breath and raised an eyebrow, "Fucking in my kitchen?"

**Author's Note:**

> Guys. Amy and Dan. Dan and Amy. C'mon. They're both such awful people and so amazing and Dan loves her so much, even if might not be OBVIOUS but you guys he does. He totally does. I have evidence.
> 
> He referred to himself as Superman and to Amy as Wonder Woman in episode S03E02! Like..!? I think is a bit OoC for Amy, as I think Dan is the one with closer-to-romantic-but-not-quite-romantic thoughts, but I do think she wants to see if sleeping him would be different after 4 years. *cough* actual tv writers pls get on that *cough*
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think? Nobody in my real life understands how I feel about this show and pairing and it sucks


End file.
